A couple months ago, I had an opportunity to be a guest speaker at a female wrestling camp in Traverse City, Michigan. This wasn’t just any female wrestling camp-this was THE top female wrestlers in the state of Michigan between the ages of 13-17. They know what they are doing AND they are phenomenal athletes. Yet, as I was speaking with them, I was aware that most of them (like me when I was growing up) didn’t have the necessary habits need to excel at their sport.

If you are a female athlete, you know the hard work and dedication it takes to be the best at your sport. However, as a professional Fitness & Nutrition Coach that specialists in female health, I have learned that a majority of female athletes are missing a lot of the “basic” wellness habits needed to maximize their fullest potential. When these Top 5 Wellness Habits are skipped and not made a priority, this is where female athletes go wrong and struggle to maximize their potential in their sport.

I see a wide variety of females that feel lost and hopeless and have a range of health issues/diseases. No matter where a female athlete may be on their athletic journey, I always talk about the Top 5 Wellness Habits! If you are a female athlete, do NOT skip these habits.

Let me share with you the Top 5 Wellness Habits for female athletes that I was honored to share with at the female wrestling camp back in June. Please be aware that these habits, I believe, are listed in order of importance.

Note: It goes without saying that fitness is a core wellness habit for any female athlete. Therefore, I am not including fitness in the Top 5 Wellness Habits below. Fitness is expected. Depending on your sport and your goals, your fitness workouts will look different.

#1. SLEEP
– As a teen athlete 8-10 hours a night of sleep is required.
– Sleep benefits all aspects of your body: cellular level, brain function, overall energy, alertness, mood
– Your circadian rhythm is important in regulating hormones
– Important hormones that sleep helps regulate:
> Melatonin helps promotes sleep (and I’m not talking about taking a melatonin supplement)
> Growth hormone helps supports bones, muscles and metabolism.
> Cortisol is our stress response system.
> Leptin & Ghrelin helps control our appetite.


#2. HORMONES
– The hormones above in #1 are important hormones to understand and learn more about.
– I also believe every female athlete should track and learn about their menstrual cycle. There’s so much power in understanding what your body is going through.
– Females have 28 day (ish) cycles. (males have 24 hour cycles)
– Do you know what’s happening during those 28 days?
– Knowing which foods will help your hormones/body during each stage of your cycle (there are 4 stages) is a game changer in your performance as a female athlete.

We will be offering an in-studio class for Cyclical Living this fall in studio with Rebecca Rankin, owner of Womens Moon Wisdom. Watch out for more details to come!
In the meantime, check out who she is and what she offers at www.rebeccarankinyoga.com


#3. DETOXIFICATION
– We have 6 organs that support our bodies natural ways of detoxing.
> 1. Liver
> 2. Kidney
> 3. Lunges
> 4. Skin
> 5. Colon
> 6. Lymphatic system

– Detoxing helps strengthen our immune system and our mental health.
– In studio athletes go through a Hair Analysis Test to see if there are any toxins that are affecting their body. (Chemicals, metals, radiation fungus, mold, virus, bacteria, parasites, EMFs, etc.)
– There are so many toxins in our cosmetics products, cleaning products, foods, plastics.
– Download the app HEALTHY LIVING. This will allow you to scan the barcode of products/food and see how safe/non safe they are for your body.
– Make sure to support your detoxification organs. Not sure how? Reach out, that’s what we help our female athletes achieve.


#4. DE-STRESS & REGULATE YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM
– Stress increases your cortisol levels (an important hormone to regulate for overall health)
– During certain times of our monthly cycle, you will tend to find yourself more stressed than other times; if we are unaware of what’s happening with our hormones, stress will feel overwhelming and debilitating
– When stressed here are a few ideas to help:
> Breathe work
> Affirmations
> Walking in nature
> Meditation/Mindfulness
> Yoga
> Journal
> Listen to music
> and many more ideas!


#5. NUTRITION
– Every body is different.
– Do you know what your body is lacking in with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, fatty acids?
> This is why we do hair analysis testing. You may be eating foods (whole foods included) that are
creating inflammation in your body.
> Or you’re not consuming enough of certain foods into your diet that will help you reach your
fullest potential.
> Testing is best… don’t guess!
– When you fuel your body correctly, you’ll have the energy you need.
– Know what macros are best for you.
> We also offer metabolic testing to know how your body is using fats and carbs for fuel.
– Most importantly, get in the micro-nutrients that your body needs.
– Eating junk food and then not eating for 1-2 days to cut weight is only doing you a disservice to your performance. Make your nutrition just as important as brushing your teeth before going out on a date.


Most of the time, female athletes jump right to fitness to improve their performance. As a former athlete, I completely understand this. however, I didn’t fully understand the importance of the top 5 Wellness Habits that were needed to reach my fullest potential.

If you have questions on where to start and how to make habits a part of your life, reach out to me! I’m here to support you. It is my passion to help female athletes reach their highest athletic goals.